Programming
by Chibinaoka
Summary: When Kotoko thinks of her old life with Kojima, she feels a pain in her chest. But how can she feel like she has a broken heart when she isn't designed to have one or emotions? [My First Chobits Fic] Please R&R.


Disclaimers: I do not own and I did not create Chobits and all related characters. They belong to CLAMP. No copyright violations are intended. I do own this fan fiction and I ask that you please don't archive this fic without my permission.  
  
Programming  
By Chibinaoka  
  
Kotoko lay peacefully on the pillow near Sumomo and Chi. At first glance one would think that she was asleep. But like all persocoms, she did not sleep but rather when offline and into a state that appeared much like how humans slept. Kotoko's eyes opened as she was abruptly awaken by the sound of a whistle. It was Sumomo, again. She sighed as she watched the purple persocom perform her regular exercise routine while Chi and Hideki fallowed along. All three fallowed to the sound of Sumomo's whistle. Up, down, left, right. How could Chi and Hideki put up with that every morning? How could anyone put up with that infernal racket so early? Kotoko asked herself these questions in her head. The exercises done, Hideki proceeded to getting dressed and eating breakfast while Chi and Sumomo prepared his things for school.  
  
Kotoko observed silently as the two persocoms and the one human interacted. She still wasn't use to seeing such closeness. Of course she interacted with her old owner, Kojima. She ran searches on the net for him and helped him with other computer necessities. That was what she was programmed to do. Still, it didn't seem quite the same as how Chi and Sumomo helped Hideki. There was something there, something she couldn't figure out. Hideki acted more like Chi and Sumomo were real people and not persocoms. She especially noticed so with Chi. There was a strong bond between Chi and Hideki, perhaps even love. Kotoko knew that much. But, how could there be such a strong bond between a human and a machine? After all, that's what Chi and other persocoms were, machines. Machines build by humans to help humans. How could a person care for a machine? It's not like a machine had feelings right? Then how come it bothered Kotoko so much? Could it be because she never had that with Kojima? No it couldn't be. Kotoko wasn't programmed to feel. She felt a sense a duty towards Kojima but it was only because he built her, not because she cared for him.  
  
Kotoko closed her eyes and pulled up an image of Kojima in her mind.   
"Why? Why do I keep thinking about him?"   
Kotoko whispered to herself.   
"Could it be that I...I miss him?"  
Kotoko shook her head.  
"No, it can't be that. I don't have emotions, I can't feel love. It's just my sense of duty to my former owner."  
That must be it, right?  
  
Kotoko was deep into though and didn't even notice that Hideki had left. Chi was reading her books of 'The City With No People' and Sumomo was tiding up while blowing her whistle again. It was actually the sound of the whistle that pulled her out of her thoughts when Sumomo passed by her.   
"Do you have to always be blowing that?" Kotoko asked.  
"It's part of my programming. Sumomo must whistle while she helps her master."  
Sumomo answered without even stopping what she was doing.   
'I guess I'll have to get use to that now. I am living here.' Kotoko though.  
Yes, she would have to adjust to her new life and to the idea of never seeing Kojima again. There was that feeling again. When Kotoko though of the idea of never seeing her owner again, she felt a pain in her chest. She placed her hands on top of her chest.  
"How can I feel a pain in my heart when I don't have one?"  
  
Kotoko looked at Chi. Even though she was preoccupied with reading, she saw a look of loneliness on her face. Kotoko often saw that look on Chi's face when Hideki wasn't around. Is Chi lonely when Hideki isn't around? She knew Chi was special; she might even be a Chobits. Did Chi's advance programming allow her to feel? Did she have a heart that sung when Hideki wasn't around? Kotoko couldn't stand it anymore. She wasn't used to her present way of thinking and seeing things.  
  
Kotoko made her way to Chi and looked up at her.   
"Chi I need to talk to you."  
Chi's gaze shifted towards to the little persocom. Laying her book on her lap, Chi picked up Kotoko in her hands.  
"What does Kotoko want to know?"  
Kotoko wasn't quite sure how to ask her question. She couldn't even believe that she was going to ask such a thing.  
"Chi, do you miss Hideki when he's not around?"  
Chi's eyes lost their focus.  
"Yes, Chi misses Hideki. Chi is happy when Hideki is around and Chi is sad when he isn't."  
Kotoko looked down.  
"I see."  
Chi tilted her head.  
"Chi? Why does Kotoko look confused? Does Kotoko also miss Hideki?"  
Kotoko looked up at Chi and frowned.  
"No, I don't miss Hideki like you do. I was just curious."  
Kotoko hoped down from Chi's hands and went towards the window.  
  
The though of Chi proposing that Kotoko missed Hideki made her shake her head. She didn't miss Hideki. But Chi did. Chi missed him and she said she was also happy when he was around. All this only confused Kotoko even more. How could Chi be happy and lonely? Happiness and loneliness are emotions and persocoms don't posses emotions.   
"Does Chi feel? Do I feel?"  
Kotoko pondered. What was the thing that made her feel like she had a heart and that it sunk low to the idea of being alone? Deep inside, Kotoko wanted to return to Kojima. At least then she wouldn't have to deal with Sumomo's silliness. Her life would be simpler and she wouldn't have to ponder about whether or not persocoms feel because she had never though about it until she had meet Chi. What was she thinking? If she would be thinking about such things while around Kojima and confront him about, he would probably see it as a glitch. Was that it?   
"Does my programming have a glitch in it? Am I broken?"  
Kotoko looked down into her hands.  
"I'm a persocom. I'm not designed to feel but like all technology, I'm not perfect, even if at times I seem like it. I can break just as easily has a human heart can break."  
Maybe what she though she felt was only her programming telling her to stay loyal to her owner.   
  
Yes, that must be it. Kotoko felt loyalty to the one who built her. But wait, isn't loyalty an emotion? So that must not be what Kotoko was feeling. Or was it? All persocoms were built to serve their owners and masters. The part of Kotoko's programming that told her to serve was just like human loyalty. Kotoko smiled. Even though she wasn't with Kojima at the moment, the though of staying loyal to her old master and never forgetting him made the pain in her chest go away.  
"It's just my programming telling me to serve Kojima. I'm sure I'll see him again someday. I shouldn't think about it too much."   
Kotoko nodded. It was just her programming, she wasn't broken. In fact, she felt surer of what she was then ever before. Perhaps that was what Kojima had in mind when he built her. He was smart after all. Maybe a little shady but still smart. Kotoko realised that she was an advance piece of technology. Perhaps not as advance as a 'Chobit' but if Kojima had programmed her so that she could explore the concept of persocoms and human emotions, like she was doing right now, he must have spent a long time on her.  
  
Staying loyal to her creator was the only explanation Kotoko could think of to explain what she felt and it satisfied her.   
"I will never forget my old master and creator, never. "  
Kotoko smiled.  
  
The End  
  
Author's Note: I realise that Kotoko might seem a little OOC and I apologise for that. The relationship I tried to picture between Kotoko and Kojima in this fic is like the one you would find in a child/mentor relationship. Anyway, positive feedback and constructive criticism is welcomed but flames are NOT welcomed. 


End file.
